


Stifled Potential

by Merfilly



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-17
Updated: 2017-05-17
Packaged: 2018-11-01 19:59:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10929012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: Plo Koon meets a promising padawan, and finds that there is much amiss with her training.





	Stifled Potential

Plo Koon, in addition to slowly garnering a reputation as a Finder of the unusual Force-Sensitive younglings, was also a man given to aiding all of those who were young adapt to the life of a Jedi. He balanced between the ways of his own people and the Jedi Order, which gave him insights that sometimes helped.

He did not, in retrospect, expect to ever find himself in conflict with another Knight over their teaching methods. But then, he had not expected to find a padawan struggling to embrace her potential because of a neglectful teacher.

* * *

The sound of someone in the salle at this dark hour of the night was concerning to the Kel Dor Knight, as he had not truly expected to have any company during this walk of the Temple while he tried to adapt back to Coruscant's schedule. Master Tyvokka was away on mission, or he might have joined his former padawan. Micah…

Plo's mouth twitched under his mask. Micah Giiett was away from the Temple for an extended period, studying texts that had been found on Lothal. He would just have to miss his closest companion for an unknown time, but that was the nature of their association. 

He turned into the door of the salle, keeping his presence as quiet and concealed as he could, briefly thinking of his Nautolan friend Neaed and the techniques shared that had gotten him out of trouble a few times. That, in turn, made his mind turn to the boy that had recently been taken as a padawan, nephew of his friend. Would Kit Fisto have the same gifts in shielding that his uncle had shared?

Scolding himself mentally, he actually took in the full sight of the person in the salle, surprised to find a Togruta youngling — no, she wore beads — padawan, then, practicing against three separate drones. He was a bit concerned, given how small the padawan was, but a dim memory prompted him to recall Togruta younglings stayed small well past the age many species began to get their growth, only to explode into statuesque heights when adolescence did finally hit them. Plo watched the padawan move skillfully between offense and defense, mixing the acrobatic nature of his own preferred form of Ataru with the staid and carefully controlled motions of Makashi quite well.

She was teeming with energy, the Force flowing freely in every motion, and Plo Koon made a note to learn her name soon… but not tonight. He carefully withdrew to a nearby meditation chamber, to keep a mind on her in case of an accident, but he was loathe to disturb her. The Force itself said she was where she needed to be, and that made Plo ponder.

* * *

It was two days later when Plo Koon wandered into the training salle to see various master and padawan pairs discussing technique and setting up matches. Plo heard his name, and found his first padawan, now a Knight on xir own, standing near the very Togruta padawan from his wanderings. 

"Mas — Plo," his former padawan, Jaunre, said, catching the slight tip of head that reminded xir that titles were no longer needed. "Would you care to spar with us? Tarith has been trying to teach her padawan paired fighting, but they are hitting a snag because of their differing styles."

Plo felt a mild surprise at that, and took in the youngling carefully. The padawan looked very proper, dressed in full leggings and tunic as opposed to the brief hip wrap and bandeau she had been exercising in that night alone. There was also a dimming to her Force presence, and Plo felt a momentary concern.

"Yes. Knight Tarith; Padawan…" he let his voice trail off, waiting for a name.

"Shaak Ti, Knight Plo Koon," Tarith answered. "Ti's making progress in her studies, but her insistence on Ataru, when I am firm duelist in the Makashi style is limiting her."

Plo's eyes narrowed behind his goggles, as he felt just a little dumbfounded at the idea that the child he had seen sparring three drones with both mentioned styles could be limited. What was afoot?

"Well, Jaunre opted to actually follow Shii-Cho through to its fullest extent, so we do understand fighting with differing styles." He took his robe off, settling it on the nearby bench, even as Jaunre did the same. They had always been a devastating pair in the competitive lightsaber sparring; it was very difficult to read a Kel Dor or a Gand due to their protective gear and breathing masks. Plo stretched his senses out to the youngling, trying to read her, and found she was appraising them both, seeking to understand their weaknesses and strengths before the battle.

Tarith, on the other hand, was not. As Plo was only slightly familiar with this friend of his padawan's, that seemed foolish. Likewise, as they began, Plo immediately saw the limitations were not with the padawan — who was restraining the skill he had witnessed in the salle — but with the master.

Yet, as it wore on, all criticism was aimed at the child. Even Jaunre grew wary of that, despite this being xir suggestion, and xe finally called a halt to the sparring, pleading other commitments.

Plo was left with a quandary. His innate sense of right and wrong, very influenced by his Kel Dor heritage, demanded he call Tarith's idiocy and unkindness out. Yet, Plo's gaze fell on the small Togruta who had restrained her own skill, and knew it would not be the right thing to do. There was a deep pride in Tarith that would lead to more harm in Shaak Ti's training if Plo made an issue of this.

~Little One, are you often in the salles by night?~ Plo sent directly to the youngling's mind, as he was drawing his own robe back on. There was a moment's hesitation, a touch of guilt, then defiant admission even as the youngling adapted to this form of communication. She had only barely flinched, but Knight Tarith had not noticed.

~I do not sleep as much as many? So yes, Master Koon,~ she replied.

~If it pleases you, little one, call to me in your mind. I see your potential, and would hone it, where Knight Tarith is not.~ He kept his censure of the human to a minimum, but the relief in the youngling made him fully aware this was the right thing to do.

~I would be honored to learn from you.~

**Author's Note:**

> While this table I have claimed is for Shaak Ti, this first fic felt more right to show from another's eyes. I like letting these two be fast friends, and had head-canoned, during a brainstorm with B_Radley, that perhaps Plo had mentored her during a negligent master's care.
> 
> Shaak's master is unnamed in canon, so far as I can find. Likewise, we know Plo had one unnamed padawan (at least) prior to Lissarkh and Bultar Swan.


End file.
